TEHRAN -- Abdin Saleh, the director of the UNESCO Office in Tehran, is convinced that the Bam Citadel is still an interesting resort for tourists even after its collapse during the earthquake.

Although the Bam Citadel in Kerman Province was almost entirely destroyed by a devastating earthquake on December 26, 2003, it still plays a major role in attracting tourists to Bam and the province, he told the Persian service of CHN on Sunday.

The city is still home to a valuable heritage, but a great deal of care and attention will be needed to complete the renovation project, he noted.

The Bam Citadel is part of an impressive historical complex, with anthropological, social, and cultural aspects, he remarked. Saleh emphasized that Bam still embraces the same spiritual soul of the past, and that it is this spirit which has kept the place alive and vivid, saying, “A historical place does not necessarily mean just the existence of a monument, it is also the values, culture, and customs of a city that maintain its atmosphere and give it significance.”

The historical Bam Citadel is on UNESCO’s List of World Heritage in Danger.

UNESCO has carried out several programs on the preservation and renovation of the monument.

The director of the Bam Cultural Heritage and Tourism Foundation has already said that the renovation of the Bam Citadel requires a budget of one trillion rials ($108.2 million).

During the last three years, almost 15 percent of the task has been carried out, and the remaining 85 percent is scheduled to take another 12 years, Eskandar Mokhtari noted.

“We are not intending to return the citadel to its previous form, but we are trying to reinforce it as much as possible,” Mokhtari stated.